| Susquehanna Wayne Oil & Gas Group SWOGG |
SWOGG’s FINAL UPDATE
HURRAY for SWOGG members! Hess has agreed to accept all SWOGG member leases that were
signed over the past weekend as well as those leases logged out to take home (for whatever reason),
and those that are being mailed out to SWOGG Letter-Of-Intent members TODAY. Although we fell
literally a few hundred acres short of the 7,250 acres threshold, Hess has confirmed that they will take
all of the SWOGG member leases.
If you’re still waiting for the lease package mailed to you (because you couldn’t sign in Pleasant Mt.
over the weekend), don’t worry! The leases to be mailed out to SWOGG members were delayed until
Hess was certain that they had reached or got close enough to the 7,250 acre threshold. That was
yesterday. I apologize for the delay; things are now moving forward. Please review carefully the
package you receive and make sure you sign your name as it appears on the lease. Also, it all must be
notarized. PLEASE expedite the return of the leases.
NON SWOGG MEMBERS: (fewer than a handful only) Hess is NOT committing to all those landowners
that are NOT or were NOT SWOGG members as of November 13, 2009. Those of you who were NOT
SWOGG members and filled out the ADD-ON letter of intent (or by mistake may have filled out the
MEMBER letter of intent) will be accepted by Hess only on a case-by-case basis. Hess will notify you
shortly of your status either way.
AND NOW…
We want to thank you for your voluntary donation during the HESS signing. We had a 99% donation
rate at the HESS signing. Only 2 members chose not to contribute. This will help us offset our
expenses. For those members that have signed a CABOT lease and have yet to make a voluntary
donation for the CABOT lease effort, please contact Scott Reinhart @ reinhartscott@yahoo.com as he
could not be present during the entire signing process there.
FINALLY…
With this email, SWOGG will have ended the final chapter in its two-and-one-half –plus-year saga, the
purpose of which was to secure for SWOGG members the best possible lease based on location
(specifically, in the DRBC oversight area) and geology. Broadly speaking, “Best” has always meant two
things: first, a lease that protects your land from the negative impacts of gas exploration; and second,
one that ensures that you received the best terms available in your area at the time of leasing. With the
leases tendered by Hess and Cabot (in the Thompson area) which many of you signed, I and the
others who have contributed to this effort, believe that we’ve achieved these objectives. Let’s not
underestimate the significance of the group’s effort. About 15,000 acres of SWOGG land have been
leased in two simultaneous deals just one weekend apart, each of which is the best in its respective
area. Hess has acquired leases on over 7,000 acres and Cabot on 8,000. That’s a great team effort!
I mentioned others “who’ve so generously helped with this effort” – and now I’ve mentioned it again! In
fact, their names cannot be mentioned enough. I’m speaking here of John Lewis, Robert Cox, Robert
Handloff, Scott Reinhart, Pat Propert (our website administrator) and the committee members all of
whom have given generously of their time, their energy, and even their fortune in order to achieve a
suitable end to this adventure. Because of their persistence, diligence, and patience, John and Robert
Cox have become lay experts in gas lease provisions in northeastern PA. John and Robert Cox are just
like you and I; the only difference is they have spent countless hours reviewing and researching all of
the leases in the NEPA to understand what the companies would accept as landowner protections and
what they would not. To what is their expertise attributable?--- I’ll tell you! Cox and Lewis have
expended countless hours in understanding the various aspects of leasing, then bringing that
understanding to the negotiating table (in this case with Hess) and finally saying, “It’s time to present it
to our members for their review”. In this task, they have demonstrated capabilities far outside their
respective fields of expertise. And to say as some professional have said that “it’s an OK lease” is a
significant understatement. I agree!
All of these efforts would have mattered for little if we didn’t have you, --- the members of SWOGG, ---
standing behind us, patiently waiting throughout the ups and downs of the adventure, for just this
ending. For that support we’re grateful. I’m confident that the reason you continued to support us is;
that you trusted that we were working on your behalf. Nurturing that belief has been the update
information and various emails – sometimes humorous, sometimes purely factual, but always
informative, accurate, and corrected for spelling and punctuation by our official scribe Robert Handloff.
That’s the team, but only part of it.
What is the remaining part? You the members! As I’ve said earlier, we were always aware that you
signed on as members in anticipation of a realistic value for the possible harvesting of your underlying
minerals, but also in anticipation of a solid lease that protected you. We told you that it wouldn’t be
easy or quick, although I for one was hopeful that things would move along quickly. I recall telling John
and the two Roberts that I could give this effort 6 months at best; that was over two years ago. I recall
also standing in the Forest City School auditorium and saying to you that I expected to have this all
wrapped up in 4 months…and that was in 2007. Perhaps I learned patience from you. You
waited…and waited…and waited. You were neither bullied by land men from other companies nor
seduced by unreal offers. You waited patiently, and I and the team – all of whom have signed with Hess
except for Scott and the TAOGG committee members who signed with Cabot – appreciate and respect
that patience. It motivated us, and now I think it’s been rewarded. So wherever you are as you read
this, pat yourselves on the back. We all deserve a high-five!
Our purpose has been achieved. In short order, SWOGG as an organization will cease to exist. Now we
can get on with our lives. I for one have a business to run. All too often over the past 2 ½ years, the
time allocated to do work for that business has been delayed to between 10 PM and 2 AM because of
SWOGG. Now there’s nothing more we can do. We have neither the legal expertise nor the funds to
assist you should a problem with your lease arise. Accordingly, we encourage you to contact a reliable
and well-informed mineral rights attorney, and to do so sooner rather than later.
One other thing: Some or many of you will likely have the good fortune to come into large sums of
money. Here again, not being financial advisors, we can only recommend first of all that you keep the
requirements of your friendly IRS agent in mind; and second, seek the services of an impartial, licensed
financial advisor whom you trust.
Finally, over the course of our adventure, I and the other leaders have come to meet and know many of
you. At the same time, there are many of you who've seen us at meetings, but circumstances haven't
allowed us to meet. I would hope that should you see one of us at the recycling center or the Little Red
Schoolhouse or Agway or Wegman's, that you'll come and introduce yourself so that we can properly
and fittingly thank you for your patience and support.
Again and on behalf of John, the two Roberts, Scott, Pat ,the committee, and myself, I extend my
heartfelt thanks and our warmest wishes for the festive holidays and the coming new year.
Best Regards,
Dave Matisoff
On behalf of SWOGG Leaders
HURRAY for SWOGG members! Hess has agreed to accept all SWOGG member leases that were
signed over the past weekend as well as those leases logged out to take home (for whatever reason),
and those that are being mailed out to SWOGG Letter-Of-Intent members TODAY. Although we fell
literally a few hundred acres short of the 7,250 acres threshold, Hess has confirmed that they will take
all of the SWOGG member leases.
If you’re still waiting for the lease package mailed to you (because you couldn’t sign in Pleasant Mt.
over the weekend), don’t worry! The leases to be mailed out to SWOGG members were delayed until
Hess was certain that they had reached or got close enough to the 7,250 acre threshold. That was
yesterday. I apologize for the delay; things are now moving forward. Please review carefully the
package you receive and make sure you sign your name as it appears on the lease. Also, it all must be
notarized. PLEASE expedite the return of the leases.
NON SWOGG MEMBERS: (fewer than a handful only) Hess is NOT committing to all those landowners
that are NOT or were NOT SWOGG members as of November 13, 2009. Those of you who were NOT
SWOGG members and filled out the ADD-ON letter of intent (or by mistake may have filled out the
MEMBER letter of intent) will be accepted by Hess only on a case-by-case basis. Hess will notify you
shortly of your status either way.
AND NOW…
We want to thank you for your voluntary donation during the HESS signing. We had a 99% donation
rate at the HESS signing. Only 2 members chose not to contribute. This will help us offset our
expenses. For those members that have signed a CABOT lease and have yet to make a voluntary
donation for the CABOT lease effort, please contact Scott Reinhart @ reinhartscott@yahoo.com as he
could not be present during the entire signing process there.
FINALLY…
With this email, SWOGG will have ended the final chapter in its two-and-one-half –plus-year saga, the
purpose of which was to secure for SWOGG members the best possible lease based on location
(specifically, in the DRBC oversight area) and geology. Broadly speaking, “Best” has always meant two
things: first, a lease that protects your land from the negative impacts of gas exploration; and second,
one that ensures that you received the best terms available in your area at the time of leasing. With the
leases tendered by Hess and Cabot (in the Thompson area) which many of you signed, I and the
others who have contributed to this effort, believe that we’ve achieved these objectives. Let’s not
underestimate the significance of the group’s effort. About 15,000 acres of SWOGG land have been
leased in two simultaneous deals just one weekend apart, each of which is the best in its respective
area. Hess has acquired leases on over 7,000 acres and Cabot on 8,000. That’s a great team effort!
I mentioned others “who’ve so generously helped with this effort” – and now I’ve mentioned it again! In
fact, their names cannot be mentioned enough. I’m speaking here of John Lewis, Robert Cox, Robert
Handloff, Scott Reinhart, Pat Propert (our website administrator) and the committee members all of
whom have given generously of their time, their energy, and even their fortune in order to achieve a
suitable end to this adventure. Because of their persistence, diligence, and patience, John and Robert
Cox have become lay experts in gas lease provisions in northeastern PA. John and Robert Cox are just
like you and I; the only difference is they have spent countless hours reviewing and researching all of
the leases in the NEPA to understand what the companies would accept as landowner protections and
what they would not. To what is their expertise attributable?--- I’ll tell you! Cox and Lewis have
expended countless hours in understanding the various aspects of leasing, then bringing that
understanding to the negotiating table (in this case with Hess) and finally saying, “It’s time to present it
to our members for their review”. In this task, they have demonstrated capabilities far outside their
respective fields of expertise. And to say as some professional have said that “it’s an OK lease” is a
significant understatement. I agree!
All of these efforts would have mattered for little if we didn’t have you, --- the members of SWOGG, ---
standing behind us, patiently waiting throughout the ups and downs of the adventure, for just this
ending. For that support we’re grateful. I’m confident that the reason you continued to support us is;
that you trusted that we were working on your behalf. Nurturing that belief has been the update
information and various emails – sometimes humorous, sometimes purely factual, but always
informative, accurate, and corrected for spelling and punctuation by our official scribe Robert Handloff.
That’s the team, but only part of it.
What is the remaining part? You the members! As I’ve said earlier, we were always aware that you
signed on as members in anticipation of a realistic value for the possible harvesting of your underlying
minerals, but also in anticipation of a solid lease that protected you. We told you that it wouldn’t be
easy or quick, although I for one was hopeful that things would move along quickly. I recall telling John
and the two Roberts that I could give this effort 6 months at best; that was over two years ago. I recall
also standing in the Forest City School auditorium and saying to you that I expected to have this all
wrapped up in 4 months…and that was in 2007. Perhaps I learned patience from you. You
waited…and waited…and waited. You were neither bullied by land men from other companies nor
seduced by unreal offers. You waited patiently, and I and the team – all of whom have signed with Hess
except for Scott and the TAOGG committee members who signed with Cabot – appreciate and respect
that patience. It motivated us, and now I think it’s been rewarded. So wherever you are as you read
this, pat yourselves on the back. We all deserve a high-five!
Our purpose has been achieved. In short order, SWOGG as an organization will cease to exist. Now we
can get on with our lives. I for one have a business to run. All too often over the past 2 ½ years, the
time allocated to do work for that business has been delayed to between 10 PM and 2 AM because of
SWOGG. Now there’s nothing more we can do. We have neither the legal expertise nor the funds to
assist you should a problem with your lease arise. Accordingly, we encourage you to contact a reliable
and well-informed mineral rights attorney, and to do so sooner rather than later.
One other thing: Some or many of you will likely have the good fortune to come into large sums of
money. Here again, not being financial advisors, we can only recommend first of all that you keep the
requirements of your friendly IRS agent in mind; and second, seek the services of an impartial, licensed
financial advisor whom you trust.
Finally, over the course of our adventure, I and the other leaders have come to meet and know many of
you. At the same time, there are many of you who've seen us at meetings, but circumstances haven't
allowed us to meet. I would hope that should you see one of us at the recycling center or the Little Red
Schoolhouse or Agway or Wegman's, that you'll come and introduce yourself so that we can properly
and fittingly thank you for your patience and support.
Again and on behalf of John, the two Roberts, Scott, Pat ,the committee, and myself, I extend my
heartfelt thanks and our warmest wishes for the festive holidays and the coming new year.
Best Regards,
Dave Matisoff
On behalf of SWOGG Leaders